URBAN LIFE, INTERNAL MIGRATION AND DEVELOPMENT: THE NEED TO RE-ADDRESS INTERNAL MIGRATION AS A POSITIVE NEXUS FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT IN PNG 2016 PNG UPDATE: Sustaining Development (in PNG) beyond the Resources Boom The University of Papua New Guinea, Nov 3-4, 2016 Waigani Campus, Port Moresby Hennah Steven (MPhil) Pacific Adventist University, Port Moresby, PNG
OUTLINE INTRODUCTION LITERATURE RESEARCH QUESTION RESEARCH METHOD SAMPLING DATA COLLECTION & ANALYSIS RESULTS/FINDINGS SUMMARY CONCLUSION SO WHAT?
INTRODUCTION Informal livelihood activities of migrants have attracted negative perceptions toward all settlement dwellers. Many of these residents are perceived as desperate and potential criminals. There is a lack of public & policy interest in how to make rural-urban migration a positive outcome. Emphasis is on anti-migration plans and programs as seen in the PNG Development Strategic Plan (PNG DSP) 2010-2030 and PNG Medium Term Development Plan (PNG MTDP) 2011-2015 (Department of National Planning and Monitoring, DNPM, 2010). The aim is to reduce rural-to-urban migration rather than manage and control increasing urban population growth and increasing number of squatter settlements (Koczberski, Curry & Conell, 2001).
LITERATURE Rural-urban Migration Rural to urban migration in Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been a continual development process. Studies explaining how to make migration work more effectively for development are minimal only coming from academics. Academics have attempted to explain how internal migration in PNG has contributed to development by documenting livelihood strategies of migrants in their new urban environment (Storey, 2006, 2010; Litau, 2009; Barber, 2003; Umezaki and Ohtsukal, 2003; Kavan, 2013).
FRAMEWORK Source: Content analysis (Skeldon, 1997; McDowell & De Haan, 1997; Carney, n.d; Farrington, Carney, Ashley, & Turton,1999; Ellis, 2003; Morse & McNamara, 2013).
RESEARCH QUESTION MAIN RQ: CAN (INTERNAL) MIGRATION CONTRIBUTE TO SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN PNG? SUB-RQs RQ1: What important role have migrants had on sustainable development in PNG? RQ2: Why do people relocate to urban settlements, in spite of poverty they experience? RQ3: What livelihood strategies could be maintained to support migrants in urban settlements in PNG?
RESEARCH METHOD Concurrent Mixed Method (Quant & Qual) by Creswell & Plano Clark, 2007. More weight given to qualitative.
RESEARCH SITES GEREHU STAGE 1 FAIYANTINA SETTLEMENT MORATA 2 SETTLEMENT ATS SETTLEMENTS SIX MILE SETTLEMENT GARDEN HILL SETTLEMENT
SAMPLING Purposive sampling based on researcher s judgment on who can provide the best information to achieve the objectives of the study. The researcher goes to people who are likely to have the required information, (Kumar, 2011, pp. 206, 207). Quota non- random sampling - researcher has easy access to the sample, because the location is convenient (Kumar, 2011).
DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS Quantitative Survey 36 questionnaires out, 28 returned) Analysed using Excel & SPSS. Generated simple descriptive statistics presented in table and graphs. Qualitative 2 Focus Group 16 Individual interviews Transcribed (mostly tok pisin) & translated into English.
RESULTS & FINDINGS Demographics Sex Frequency Percent Male 17 60.7 Female 11 39.3 Total 28 100.0 Marital status Frequency Percent Single 6 21.4 Married 21 75.0 Widowed 1 3.6 Total 28 100.0
Demographics Highest level of education Frequency Percent No education 1 3.6 Primary 6 21.4 Secondary 13 46.4 Vocational 2 7.1 Tertiary 6 21.4 Total 28 100.0
Justification for residence in peri-urban settlements, Port Moresby Motivation for entering Indicators Frequency Percent Economic opportunity 17 60.7 Education 5 17.9 Visit family/friends 3 10.7 Raised here 2 7.1 Court case 1 3.6 Total 28 100.0
Incentive for staying
Access to financial benefit and basic services We left home and come because we want money. Our only concern is to work hard: work, work, work and work in our gardens to make money. We do a lot of hard work to create money (Focus group). We came from the villages, bringing with us our youths and children so that they can be developed through education provided in the city. Most of the schools in the rural villages are run-down and often, teachers are not there in the classrooms. Children s education was the important reason why parents brought them to the city. And so they look for ways to create money to support their education (Focus group).
Family situations and obligations I came here because my family in the city as well as at home pushed me out. They hated me because I had failed marriages. And the custom said if you get married, you must give benefits back to your family (in this case bride price (money and food/goods), which I was not able to. So when I gave birth to this disable child, my family expected the father of the child to meet customary obligations. When I was not able to meet the customary requirements, I was the subject of hate and rejection I was a subject of physically abuse. So when my family threw me out like that, I could not stand it. I am a human being and I got feelings. I looked at my disabled son and felt sorry for him. So I decided that the only way to help him and myself is to get out. I had only a grade ten certificate which was enough to get me at least one decent, odd job. So I got that certificate and moved away from my family and came to Port Moresby. My family here in Port Moresby too rejected me so I said fine; I will look for a job and reside in the settlement. And so I
Settlements provide affordable accommodation for all I am living here in this settlement because I was asked to come and live with my brother-in-law to minimise high rentals that I was paying at my previous residence (Male). I am working but I do not have an accommodation of my own or cannot afford high rentals in formal residences. Many of us who are working and reside here are in the same boat. The only accommodation we can afford are rental rooms/houses in the settlements or we hang around with relatives in the city. People come here to work for money but they cannot afford to meet high rental costs at formal residences. They have no choice but to look for accommodation that is cheapest and get into low rental rooms/houses in the settlements (Female).
SUMMARY OF RESULTS/FINDINGS Justification for entrance and residence in peri-urban settlement. Affordable accommodation (for formal and informal workers) Proxy for urban/rural locations (access to financial benefits and basic services). Next home for single-headed households (from dysfunctional social relations) Location of opportunities (formal as well as informal regular/nonregular jobs, marketing, informal loans). Contribution to urban development Base for human resource (general cleaning and physical maintenance and construction is sourced from settlements. Source of fresh produce market (help meet food demand of the general urban population).
Benefits Access to basic services Problems Proper housing schemes for migrants; Lack of a reliable income and available finance; Unemployed youths
CONCLUSION What important role have migrants had on sustainable development in PNG? Peri-urban migrant role is mainly the creation and maintenance of sustainable livelihood through economic transactions and social networking that raises economic & social capital. Provide sustainable human resource base that is highly sourced for continual transformation and physical development of urban centres.
CONCLUSION CONT. Why do people relocate to urban settlements, in spite of poverty they experience? Economic pursuits remain the main motivation for internal migration. Access to basic services and stable livelihoods (formal or informal) attract people to migrate to peri-urban locations. Social-cultural bonding remains the conventional motivation for migration. Negative family relationships have emerged as the key issue for female-headed households to migrate/reside in settlements.
CONCLUSION CONT. What livelihood strategies could be maintained to support migrants in urban settlements in PNG? Access to formal, informal, non-regular employment; Access to proper education and health services; Access to socio-cultural networks; Access to loan and banking services; Access to telecommunications; Access to clean water supply and electricity and; Access to Land. The above are easily accessed in the urban locations than in the rural locations thus, these become sustainable livelihoods for migrants (Barber, 2003; Litau, 2009; Kavan, 2013).
SO WHAT? So, there is a need to re-address migration as a positive link to sustainable urban development in PNG. Instead of regarding residences at peri-urban settlements as negative, they should be regarded as a positive link to urban development given that settlement lands are legally accessed. Directing finances, infrastructure and planning into these areas improves all areas of urban existence. When that is achieved, communities are developed, households are empowered and individual capabilities may be fully utilized and sustained which could lead to a holistic development in the country.
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